Chapter 22
On the rooftop of a 50-story building with a panoramic view of Seoul.
A young man, whose face alone could make anyone smile, was beaming as he looked at his phone.
He alternated between checking his account balance and reading messages, chuckling to himself.
“Did this guy hit the lottery or something? Where did all this money come from all of a sudden?”
The man was Kangin, a genius with a face to match.
He had been replaying the message Johan sent him for the fifth time, smiling broadly.
– It’s pocket change. Don’t fuss over potions. Just get yourself a meal.
Behind the rough words lay a warm heart. Kangin knew that heart well, more than anyone else.
He had followed Johan around like a shadow, trying to emulate everything about him.
And so, there was no bitterness in his heart, even when Johan left their team.
In fact, when Johan announced he was leaving, Kangin had worked the hardest to calm the other team members’ anger.
Though he never mentioned it, Kangin was the only one who had witnessed Johan’s secret tears.
– It’s not enough to be called pocket change. I’ve got expensive taste in gum these days.
He replied playfully, feeling as if his heart had been rewarded. He felt full without having eaten.
“This makes me want to see him even more.”
Lost in memories, Kangin picked up a photo from his desk. It was a complete team photo of Tracker, with Johan included.
“He’s a man the world couldn’t understand. And we weren’t big enough to hold onto him either.”
The world may have forgotten Johan, seeing him as a has-been, but Kangin still remembered how great he was.
He knew things others couldn’t, simply because they hadn’t lived in the same era as Johan.
If he hadn’t seen it firsthand, he would have dismissed Johan too.
That’s why, no matter how much the internet mocked Johan, Kangin always mentioned him in interviews.
– Is it favoritism? Why always talk about a has-been?
– He’s like a fanboy. Similar to people who still fawn over washed-up idols.
– Shouldn’t you focus on the present? Targeting the worldwide rank 1 Guardian would help you grow faster.
There were often comments criticizing Kangin for this.
He understood. Maybe it was because he couldn’t forget the past.
“But what can I do? It’s thanks to him that I’ve grown this much.”
Still, there was much to learn. He was far from catching up to Johan from back then.
This was more than respect—it was a competitive desire to catch up to him.
“He’s changed somehow. It’s like he’s more at ease.”
This was an analysis from a competitor’s perspective. Despite sending several gifts in the past, this was the first time Johan had replied.
He didn’t expect a reply this time either, so this surprise gift was unexpected.
“And he sent money, too. What’s been happening?”
Curious about his idol’s current situation, Kangin had once secretly hired someone to investigate Johan. The consistent answer had been that things were not going well.
He’d heard just a week ago that Johan was struggling to pay his rent, let alone send a million won.
“Is it a bluff, or is he really about to make a comeback?”
Either way, it wasn’t bad news. If Johan was making a comeback, it would be the best motivation for Kangin, who was feeling a bit stuck.
“I can’t stay here either. I’ll break all the records you set, hyung.”
Kangin made a call as he got dressed to go out. The person on the other end yawned before responding.
“Get up, hyung. I’ve taken on 10 commissions. We’ll complete them in three days, so be ready.”
Inside the box was a small shield. Although it was only about 50 centimeters in diameter, its subtle shine made it look quite sturdy.
[Shield of the Guard]
Grade: D
Durability: 100/100
– A shield used by a guard protecting the priest. Made of high-purity steel, it’s heavy but has excellent defensive power.
Although it was a decent-grade shield, it wasn’t an item Johan could use.
Its size and shape clearly indicated who it was meant for.
“Is this for them?”
It was obviously a weapon meant to arm his minions.
A bit disappointing, but not too bad.
Expecting excellent items from a daily quest reward box was unreasonable anyway.
“This shield alone would probably sell for 500. It’s still a gain.”
The growth of his minions was directly linked to Johan’s growth, so there was no reason to refuse.
“It seems like decent items could come out of these random rewards.”
He handed the shield to King. Given his strength, King was the best one to make use of it.
A faint hissing sound escaped from between the bandages.
A hissing sound escaped from between the bandages.
King, who had received the gift, silently tilted his head and slipped the shield onto his wrist.
As he swung his leg around, there was no sense of awkwardness, confirming it was a well-made shield.
After handing over the corpse, Johan exited the dungeon and headed to a nearby fast-food restaurant.
He considered having gukbap (rice soup) but thought it might be weird to see chunks in the broth, so he refrained.
Instead, he opted for a Shanghai Deluxe Burger with extra nuggets and plenty of ketchup.
Taking a bite, Johan began to think about the upcoming C-rank Awakened test.
“The real test starts at C-rank. It’s on a completely different level from the evaluations we’ve done so far.”
The first hurdle, the C-rank Awakened test, was something he had only heard about and never experienced.
What was clear was that starting from C-rank, actual skills were needed rather than quantified stats.
“Three missions assigned by the Bureau, and clearing a dungeon with a randomly assigned team.”
A challenging condition indeed.
Although the missions were tailored to the applicant’s tendencies, the team-based test was entirely up to luck.
Some criticized it as an unnecessary test, but from C-rank onwards, the awakened were managed as immediate combatants in national crises, so some level of preparation was necessary.
A state-recognized awakened individual, that’s what a C-rank represented.
“With my current abilities, I should be able to clear a C-rank dungeon easily. The key will be how much of my abilities I reveal.”
He might have to reveal the abilities he had been hiding all this time for this test.
It would be an opportunity to show everyone his transformed self.
Of course, he felt confident.
What he was concerned about was creating an even greater impact, nothing more.
A soft sound.
“Oh, Johan, fancy meeting you here, what a coincidence.”
“Hey, Torex.”
Alex spread his arms as he saw Johan.
Johan raised his hand dryly, as if he had expected Alex’s appearance.
Despite it being time to go home after work, Alex had rushed over and nonchalantly sat down next to him.
“What a coincidence! To come into a burger joint when I’m hungry and find Johan here!”
“That’s too obvious, making it hard for me to play along.”
“Did I give it away too much? I meant to arrive a bit earlier and wait in front of the dungeon, but traffic was bad.”
“You even stationed your team members in such an obvious way; it’s almost laughable.”
“Haha, I’ll be more discreet next time.”
“So, what’s the matter? We seem to be meeting quite frequently.”
At Johan’s words, Alex looked around. His attempt at maintaining security was rather sloppy.
“It’s something confidential to discuss out in the open.”
“If it’s that confidential, should we move?”
“Not quite that confidential.”
Alex ordered a cola and downed half of it in one go. It seemed he had really rushed over.
“Johan, you know I like you, right?”
“I’d rather not know, but yes, I’m aware. Please don’t get too emotional.”
“Haha, don’t worry. I have a wife and kids.”
“Then I’ll take that sentiment with thanks.”
“I also trust you, you know? Remember the bonus I gave you.”
“I appreciate that very much.”
Alex slid a pamphlet towards Johan. It had promotional text written on it.
“Do you know what the hot topic at the Bureau is these days?”
“Why would I?”
“Support for Tracers. You can probably guess why.”
“I know their numbers have decreased significantly.”
Johan nodded.
The number of Tracers was steadily declining. Although they were seen as elite and enviable, the reality was different.
“When people think of awakened individuals, they think of Hunters. It’s the same for me. Being a Hunter is as cool as it gets, and they make a lot of money. Tracers can make good money too, but the success rate of their missions is much higher for Hunters.”
The pamphlet was titled “A Grand Strategy to Revive the Tracer Era.”
It had a distinctly scam-like vibe.
“I have a project I’m planning. It’s called ‘You Can Do It Too, Tracer!’ or ‘YaNerDu!'”
Alex’s eyes were clear and serious, making it all the more bizarre.
“Are you serious?”
“It’s meant to give hope to retired Tracers and those who are working two jobs because of low income. To show that being a Tracer is enough to make a living, that they are valuable resources.”
There was a gleam in Alex’s eye. His passionate speech carried a hint of madness.
“We need someone to give those people courage. Johan, you’re the most genuine model for this!”
Johan held back his words and glanced at the employee behind Alex.
The employee, making eye contact, subtly shook their head, pretending not to notice Alex’s craziness.
“So, you want me to help with your project, right?”
“More precisely, to support the Tracer uplift policy. Do you know the story of the Sugar Man?”
Johan had a vague idea, mostly because of a TV program that searched for once-famous singers.
“People thought the Sugar Man was dead, but he was still very much alive. And you, Johan, are very much alive too.”
“So you’re saying I’m like the Sugar Man?”
“More like Son Goku. A guy everyone thought was dead, but who keeps coming back.”
“This sounds more like a minstrel’s tale.”
“Have you heard the saying, ‘When forgotten in this world, even the soul perishes’?”
“Is that a proverb?”
“It’s from an animation called Coco. I watch it with my son.”
Johan slowly flipped through the pamphlet. The main content was about supporting Tracers struggling with their livelihood.
“We want to use you as the promotional model, Johan. You’re the perfect fit for this project.”
“Me? When there are superstars like Kangin?”
“Kangin is too successful. He only discourages the masses. Think about it. Does Kangin look like someone who would need this support fund?”
“Ah, somehow I feel like I might actually be a beneficiary.”
“Well, I’m not saying you definitely will be.”
There was a subtle persuasiveness.
Complete at least five requests per month, and if you complete 60 requests in a year, you receive a support fund of 30 million won.
Additionally, for each request exceeding the minimum, you get an extra 500,000 won per request.
Moreover, all applicants receive a basic living support fund of 500,000 won per month, which was quite a generous policy.
“The purpose is good, and the support fund is appropriate.”
“This policy is in its final stages after being approved by the National Assembly. Now we just need to find a model and draft the marketing plan.”
If it were the old Johan, he would have applied without hesitation.
Such support policies rarely come up, so the competition would be beyond imagination.
“If only this had been created a bit earlier, I could have benefited too.”
“Instead, we offer a signing bonus to the model. The signing bonus is 300 million won.”
“Hmm.”
He barely stopped himself from saying, “I’ll do it.”
Holding back the twitching corners of his mouth, he pretended to think deeply.
‘It wouldn’t be fun to accept right away.’
The basic principle of a deal is negotiation. This slick guy probably didn’t call out the maximum amount he could offer right away.
“I’m a bit too busy with requests lately.”
“Eh, but I’ve checked all your missions, Johan.”
“What? A civil servant spying on a civilian?”
At the brazen response, Alex closed his mouth.
Johan extended his hand, holding up three fingers.
“Three billion more.”
“Six billion? The absolute budget limit is truly three billion. Do you want to dissect me to see?”
Judging by his desperate expression, he wasn’t lying. Johan’s refined senses were even checking his heartbeat.
“Three billion is a bit low.”
“No way! That can’t be low! Maybe you don’t know the market average because you’ve never been a model?”
“I’ve done modeling too. For a hangover cure specifically for Hunters. You didn’t do your homework on the model.”
He didn’t back down.
While it might seem like he was continually receiving Alex’s goodwill, this was not goodwill but a deal, an investment that needed to be clearly acknowledged.
“It’s low. Considering my future value, which you understand better than anyone.”
“We’re not a future value investment firm, though.”
“But you’re investing in my future value, aren’t you?”
“…If only you would stop talking.”
“You are essentially securing your spot early. In a little while, you’ll have to offer twice that amount.”
With a groaning sound, Alex bent his body, indicating he was conceding.
It was the right time to close the deal.
“I’m not only thinking of money to measure value. I ask for three favours. Whenever it may be, promise to grant me three favours.”
“Favours?”
His eyes narrowed, as if trying to discern Johan’s intentions.
“What kind of favors are you planning to ask?”
“Well, I haven’t decided yet. Don’t worry, they won’t be beyond your capabilities.”
“Hmm.”
He rested his chin in his hand and fell into thought. He looked like he might reject the offer at any moment, but Johan was certain.
“Alright. I accept.”
He was sure Alex would accept the proposal.
“But I’ll add one more condition. The higher the support rate, the more royalty you’ll receive. With three favors and these conditions, it shouldn’t be a losing deal for you.”
“Fine. Let’s create something great together.”
“We’ll need to shoot promotional videos and posters.”
“Set the date. Don’t hand this over to anyone else.”
“How about a week from now?”
“Alright, a week from now.”
“In the afternoon?”
“In the afternoon.”
“At 2 o’clock?”
“Then 2 o’clock.”
There was a contract at the back of the booklet. It was a contract with Johan’s name on it.
Without hesitation, he signed it. The clauses they just discussed were handwritten in the miscellaneous section.
“I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Why are you helping me so much? I don’t seem like the type who’s easy to trust.”
He was curious.
People who show unconditional goodwill are rare, and he was extremely curious about the fundamental reason behind Alex’s affection.
“Johan, have you ever heard the saying that ranks should be divided by belief, not alphabet?”
“Is that a saying?”
“Have you heard the saying that Awakeners are people who earn their name (fame) through their life (life force), not money?”
“Hmm. I think I’ve heard that.”
“You said all of this.”
“What?”
“And when I heard those words, I was on the verge of giving up on life.”
Alex, who had stood up, smiled at Johan, who was looking confused.
That smile was the warmest he had ever seen.
“Let’s not be forgotten. Though, of course, you could never be forgotten.”
For some reason, Johan felt a peculiar comfort from Alex.
He had never relied on anyone in his life.
Bang!
Just then, a loud noise echoed inside the building.
It was the sound of a table being smashed.
“Damn it. Just because you’re a celebrity? I didn’t ask for a date, just for your number! Just give me your number!”
The unpleasant sound echoed through the fast food place.
The subtle movement of magic indicated that it was probably a Hunter causing the disturbance.
“It seems like the opportunity has come sooner than expected.”
“Should I step back?”
“Let’s make a bet. I bet my hand and today’s contract money that the Hunter is from a trash guild.”
